Propulsion of submarine vessels.



PATENTED MAR. 5, 1901 s. LAKE. PROPULSION OP- SUBMARINB VESSEL'S.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- S. LAKE.

PROPULSION OF SUBMARINE VE SSELS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17I 1905.

PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

2 SHBETS- SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PROPULSIQN F su No. 846,417 1 I Y l Continuation of application filed May 190i,

' Specification of Letters Patent.

BMAR INE VESSE LS.

PatenteoMax-ch 5, 1907.

serial 1 0 dand this applicatioh filed h ovenilaei' 17, 1 905.: 7 i Serial No. 287,768. y l w tion of an application filed by me May 28/ Be it known that I, SIMON LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in the Propulsion of Submarine Vessels,of which the following is a specification, reference being hadth'ereinto the accompanying drawings.

This application constitutes a continua- ]901, SerialNo. 62,207.

The present invention has for its object an improvement in that class of submarine vessels constructed with a large measure of fore.-

and-aft stability and adapted to maintain at all times an even keel, even during the opera tions of submergence and emergence, such kind of vessel being exemplified in the United States Patent No. 650,758, granted tome May 29,1900.

The invention has for its object to adapt such class of vessels for submergence and mounted upon a horizontal pivotal support and adapted to be inclined thereon to forcibly overcome the s'iieadying tendency of said flat deck and guide planes.

The invention will be understood by reference to the drawings annexed, in'which Figure 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 an external elevation, and Fi 3 a sectional elevation, of a vessel embodying the present improvements. Figs. 4 and'5 are enlarged transverse sectional views of the vessel at different points amidship. Fig. 6 is framing of the hull with the skin-plates detached; and

the forward end of the hull, showing the skins lates andtransverseframes- I r i As illustrated ingeneral form in F1gs."1,,2,

and 3 and ind'etail in Figs.v sane 7 the hull an end view of "the Fig.- 7, a sectional elevation of 1"is of rounded; orcircular cross-section throughout its length and is shown constructed with a series of circular frames 2, 3', 4, 5, 6, and'7of gradually-reducedsize from "the middle portiontoward "both en ds, the top of each frame being upon substantially the same level, while their centers arearranged in a center or axial lineupwardly inclined and preferably curved, as indicatedjby the dotted line wm in Fig. 7, toward the sub: stantially horizontal line 4} y through their uppermost points, which it intersects at the bow and stern, respectively. When viewed from either end, as in Fig. 6, the several frames present series of eccentric rings, of which the extreme upper portionshave a common pointof tangency and their centers are progressively arranged With'respect of that of the amidship-section in a yertical;

longitudinal plane assing through each, the

center of' the smal est being at the top and the largest at the bottom of the series. The

skin or sheathing plates 8 are applied to these frames in the usual manner, the outer surface otthe hull being shown in the drawings as terminating in a point at the bow, but having the apex-of thecom'cal stern portion cut away to form a slightly-flattened extremity, which latter slight deviation from the shape of the bowportion is obviously not material to the general formand consequent efliciency of the hullf Thispeculiar form of hull not only adapts the body for efficient propulsion, especially when cruising upon the surface, by obviatirn thefori'natipn of dead-water and avoiding the, suction ofair downward to the path of movement of the screw, and so causing an excessive slip of the latter and corresponding reduction of its efficiency, but obviously raises the center buoyancy and increases the available capacity for 'machinery,i &c;, as the necessarily 'level floor approaches the bottom of the con 'tracted end portions and affords head-room in such models eretofore designed.

Surmounting the hull and posed directly over its centers of buoyancy andgravity is the conning-tower orturret 9, containing the steering-wheel 10 and certain other devices for controlling hither directly or indirectly the operation ofth'e boat. The conning tower or turret is provided at the top with an inspection-dome 1 lyhaving suitplortlons, which is-lack-in'g inboats of preferably (is,

able dead-lights in the sides for purposes of inspection, thelookout stationed in the conning-tower, whose head is introduced therein, being thereby enabled to observe the maneuvers of an enemy, while the greater portion of the boat is permitted to sink wholly beneath the surface, as indicatedby the dotted linedesignated W L No. 3 in Fig. 2.

The hull is shown provided with a superstructure com osed of the vertical sides 12, rising tangentially from the outer portions of the rounded hull, and the substantially flat deck 13, which joins the sides along their edges throughout, the lengthof the boat, but

herein represented as slightly arched both athwartship and fore and aft toward the conning tower or turret, which rises from its hi hest portion.-

- As representedin the drawings, the vessel is .provided'with';twin screws 14, mounted upon shafts 15, driven by means of'gasolene or other explosive engines 16 when cruising upon the surface or by electric motors 17, deriving electric currenti'rom a series of storage batteries 18, arranged in a closed batterycompartment 19 in the hull, suitable clutches being provided for coupling and uncoupling the shafts alternately to and from the different types of motors as occasion may require.

The gasolene-engines draw their fuel from the small auxiliary storage-tank 20, which in turn is fed by the main storage tanks'o'r reservoirs 21, placed in a superstructure, and which is connected therewith by valved pipes 22 and with the interior of the hull by the vent-pipes 23, having check-valves permitting the inflow of air to replace the fuel drawn out for the consumption of the engines, but preventing the flow of air or fumes therefrom into the interior of the hull. The engines are connected. with an exhaust-tank 24, from which the products of combustion are led by means of suitable pipes tovthe exterior. of the vessel. The air-supply tank is fed by air flowing in through its inlet checkvalve directly from the engine-room.

As represented in the drawings, the superstructure is provided -near the level of the deck with the fixed guide planes 25, extending throughout the entire length of the vessel and in a plane substantially parallel with the deck of the superstructure and provided at points amidshipnear the conning-tower with suitable apertures m which are journaled the transverse shafts 26 of the oscillating hydroplanesy27, two of which are arranged on each side of the vessel. The shafts of the hydroplanes are provided each with a depending I crank-arm 28, connected to vibrate corresporrdingly by means of a link 29, the rearward crank-arm 28 being, extended downwardly to receive a pivotal connection with the piston-rod 30 of'ahydraulic cylinderfil, supported, as represented. in Fig. 5, upon a suitable stand 32 and provided with any wellknown. or suitable means for introducing and discharging water from its opposite ends for moving the piston for inclining the hydroplanes when'desired.

The vessel is'shown herein provided at the stern with a vertical rudder 33 for giving di rection thereto in a horizontal plane,- the same being in practice )rovided with a connection between the s aft of the steeringwheel 10 and the tiller-bar 34, applied to its vertical spindle, and with the horizontallymounted rudders 35, supported on the h0rizontal shaft 36, which is in practice rocked to vary the inclination of the rudder 35 by 1 any suitable or well-known means.

The means represented herein for controlling the contents of'the water-ballastficompartments 37, provided in the lower portion of the hull, are as follows:' Referring particularly to Fig. 4, a svstem of water-pipes 38 is provided having ranches 39 and 40, connected with the exterior of the boat at the side and above the deckyrespectively, and another branch 41, connected with the interior of the superstructure, pumps 42 and valves 43 being interposed in said system, by means of which and various other-branch pipes connected with the several closed was may be supplied to or drawn from the individual parts of the boat designed to regulate its condition as to buoyancy.

Asrepresented herein, the vessel is provided with a permanently ballast-tank pipe 45 leads upwardly to a three-way valve 46 in the conning-tower, having a branch 47 opening into the coni'iing-tower and another branch 48 leading downwardly and through the body of the hull to one oft-he compresseda i r tanks '49, confined within the superstructure. When the valve 46 is adjusted to connect the tank 44 with the interior of the conning-tower through the pipes 45 and 47, water is permitted to enter such tank through the inlet-opening 50 in the bottom of the same, and such water may be'expelled from the tank by turning the valve 46 to close the air-outlet branch 47 and open the air-supply pipe 48 to admit compressed air through the pipe 45 to the tank 44, so as to displace the contained water, the valve '46 being properly manipulated at the end of each of such operations toclose the pipes 45 and 48 in a manner which will be obvious.

The vessel is herein represented as provided in its bottom with suitable wells 51, in which are pivoted the swinging arms 52, proi vided at their outer ends .with hearingwheels 53 and pivotally connected at the opposite ends by means of suitable links with the trunk-pistons of the hydraulic cylinders 54, having suitable pi e connections with a hydraulic pump 55am operated as described ter-ballast tanks or compartments water.

open .amidship" 44, from the top of which an airiro gence is preferably effected by filling the strong tendency to 3 P in the United States granted to me April 28, 1903 ,for cushioning the contact of the vessel with the water-bed when the same is permitted to'sink to the latter.

In the cruising trim of the vessel the same is given ample freeboard by expellingwat'er ballast from the tanks 37 and 44 to bring the water-line to the position indicated by the dotted line designated W. L No. 1 in Fig. 2,

and the hull may be sunk beneath the surface and the water-line brought to the position indicated by the dotted line designated W. L. No. 2 by .sufficientlyfilling the ballastcompartments 37 to effect such result, there byreducing'the target presented to hostile vessels, while maintaining its offensive character abovethesurface for use of the guns with which the conning-tower or turret is preferably provided. The last step in the manipulation of water ballast for submeramidship tank 44, aspreviously described, whereby the boat is lowered to the level designated W. L. No. 3, in which position the dead-lights of the sighting-hood 11 are still exposed abovethe surface, but the vessel has only a very slight reserve buoyancy.

As already stated, the vessel has a very maintain its horizontal osition by reason of its low eenterof. gravity and high center of buoyancy produced by the peculiar shape of the hull, with its upwardly-tapering end portions materially increased by the large upwardly-extending conning -tbwer, which itself possesses a considerable buoyancy, operating with a comparat vely long leverage about the center of gravity to produce an effective righting nioment to counteract any careening tendency that might be imposed by either internal or external conditions. Under the-described conditions two different means are provided for effecting the submergence of the vessel when in motion. One of these comprises the hydroplanes 27, whose forward ends may be depressed by means of the hydraulic cylinder 3 1 and its connections therewith, so as to afford inclined vanes acting to force the vessel downwardly bodily upon an even keel; It is evident that the reverse inclination of the hydroplanes 2-7 will produce'an upward tendency to restore the vessel to initial position in reference to the surface of the water.

coming to a slight degree'of the foreand-aft stability of the vessel by means of the honzontal rudder 35, the upward inclinationof the same causing the slight rise of the stern, thereby forcibly inclining to a slightdegree 6c the steadying members,

ter, whereby the depth of the hull beneath the sameis gradually Patent No. 7 26,7 05, l sired pointet "rection of travel. a The other method of operation involves the over increased to the dewhich a' reciprocal movement of the horizontal rudders 35 may be effected to again overcome and guide planes to maintain such inclined direction of travel to cause the vessel to continue its movement in a direction parallel with the surface of the water or to ascend to the tendency of the deck the initial level 'in a similar slightly-inclined direction.

' The hydroplanes 27 constitute continuations of the guide planes afforded by the substantially flat deck 13 and fixed guide- 7 fins .25 for maintaining the direction'of the vessel in a given path of movement, and

therefore cooperate with the horizontailrudders 35 in the manipulation of the vessel as ust described, while they also perform an additional function in acting as deflectingvanes for forcibly thrustingthe vessel bodily from its straight course when they are inclined from parallelism with the guide planes, as before described.

The mere method of submerging by means of the horizontalriulders 35, as above described, is not herein claimed as novel of itself, as the use of such expedient in boats of the diving type has long been known. Such method of submersion as employed 1n. connection with the desigriedly-unstable vessels of the diving type has been found exceedingly dangerous, for the reason that such unstable vessels when inclinedat the requisite angle for submergence have frequently proved uneontrollalde, their inclination continuing afterthe safe angle has been reached,

with the ultnnate effect of causing the bow of the boat to become embedded in the water-bed, thus endangering the vessel itself and the lives of its crew. By the application of a horizontal rudder at one end of a vessel of the settling or sinking type which has reat fore-andaft stability and temporarily orcibly overcoming such stability and the strong tendency of the steadying means of flat guide planes afforded by the hat deck or lateral fins disposed parallel with the plane of action of the propeller or propellers enabled to effect the necessary inclination of the vessel for the purpose described without endangering in the slightest degree its safety or that of its crew by loss of control ,of its di- In my United States Patent No. 650,758, before referred to, some of the elements which I regard as essential to the present improvement were associated together; but the pivoted vanes in the forward a'ndflafter portions of the vessel by which its inclination could be varied were automatically operated to actually prevent as far as possible any in' clination from the horizontal which would produce submergence and emergence in the manner above described. It willybe observed thatin the use of the horizontal rud ders 35 atone end only, as representedhere- I am - ditions with the surface of the water.

and operating, when inclined, to forcibly constructed with a high center of buoyancy signed to possess the and-aft stability,

distinguished from vessels 'whosehulls and opposition to such-tendency.

of said a series of ballast tanks or compartments and in, any inclination of the same willproduce a corresponding tendency of such end to rise or fall, While the disposition of such rudders immediately astern of the propeller-wheels 14 places them directly in the current of water thrown backwardly by the propellers and gives them sufficient power to overcome the stability of the vessel before described. 7

From the for going description it will be observed that the present invention differs essentially from the diving type of submarines in that the hull with its contents isdegreatest possible forewhich the horizontal rudders are designed to forcibly overcome, as,

contents are so designed as to bring their centers of gravity and buoyancy nearly coinci dent, with the direct object of producing a condition of equilibrium for easy steering by a horizontal rudder. In other .words, with the diving ty e the vessel is constructed and ballasted-to have the utmost sensitiveness the hc rlzontal rudder, while with the present improvement the vessel is designed-to maintain its level with the greatest possible te-' nacity, the horizontal rudders acting indirect The present improvement differs essentially from that type exemplified in my United States Patent N o.' 650,758 in the pro-' visionof means for overcoming the tendencywith which such vessels are designed of maintaining their'parallelism under all con' Having thus setforththe nature of vention, what I claim herein is 1. A submarine vessel comprising a hull constructed with a high center of buoyancy and low center of gravity and provided'with a series;of.ballast tanks or compartments and means whereby watermay be admitted to and expelled from the same, a propellerwheel mounted upon a. suitable shaft and means for driving the same, a guide plane or planes fixed to the hull in a 'positidflsubstaritially parallel with the direction of operation propeller-wheel, and 'a' pivotally-. mounted horizontal rudder disposed immediately in the rear of said propellerwhee l and in the direct line ofaction of the same the inraise or lower'the stern of the vessel to incline'it from its normal horizontal relation; 2, A submarine vess'el co'mprising a hull and low center of gravity and provided with means whereby water may be admitted to and expelled from thesame, a conning-tower rising materially above said hull and disposeddirectly over its centerof buoyancy, a

propeller-wheel mountedupon a suitable'l shaft and means for driving the same, a,

guide plane or planes fixed to the hull in'a position substantially parallel with the direction of operation of said propeller-wheel, and.

to incline it from its normal horizontal relation. o 3. A submafinevvessel comprising a hull constructed with a body of rounded crosssection throughout with cylindrical amid ship portion and upwardly-tapered end portions having their upper sides at the same level, a conning-tower rising materially above the same from the amidship portion, a closed superstructure applied to the upper side of the body portion with upright sides and substantially flat deck, fiat lateral fins extending lengthwise of the vessel as substantial continuations ,of said fiat deck to constitute I guide planes-for steadying the direction of travel of the vessel, a propeller-wheel mounted upon a suitable shaft with means for driving the same and disposed in a plane sub stantiall'y parallel Withsaid guide plane,

and a pivotallymounted horizontal rudder 'disposed immediately in the rear of said propeller-wheel and in the direct lineofactlon of 5 the same and operating, wheninclined, to

forcibly raise or lower the stern ofthe vessel 1 to incline it from its normal tion. I

4. A submarine vessel comprising a hull; constructed with a high center of buoyancy horizontal relaand low center of gravity and provided with a series of ballast tanks or compartments and means whereby water may be-admi'tted to 7 and expelled from the same, a rOpellerwheel mounted upon a suitable s aft and means for driving the same,]a gulde plane or planes fixed to the hull vin a position-substantially parallel with- -thei ,direetionof operation of saidpropeller-whel; pivotally-mounted horizontal hydro lanes normally maintainedin parallel re ation with said fixed guide plane or planes and provided with means for inclinrnglthe same. in reference thereto, and'a ivotallymoi1nted horizontal rudder dispose immediately in. the rear of said pro eller-wheel and in thedirectline of action 0 the same and operating, when in-,

clined, to forcibl raise or lower the stern of the vessel .to inc zontal relation. 4

In testimony whereof IJhave slgned my name to this specification'in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.. SIMON LAKE.

Witnesses; v

' WOLDEMAR HAUPT,

HENRY HAsP'En.

me it from its normal hori- 

